Collapsing
by Cyrokin
Summary: Based on the flashback scene in TUE. Danny's life falls apart after the explosion. Who else can he turn to but his archenemy? What happened in between the "gaps" of that flashback? Told first person by Danny himself. *SOMEWHAT REVISED* My best work yet! Please review!


**I got the random inspiration to write this late one night, and once I started writing, I couldn't stop. I finished writing it the following night, so here it is! First full-length first person fanfic and my longest oneshot.**

**WARNING: Rated T for the high angst content and mention and implication of death! Based on the flashback portion of "The Ultimate Enemy", not an alternate ending to the episode, which I DO NOT own! Duh. I mean, this is a site for fanfics... lol XD**

**BTW I have a hard time keeping Vlad in character... This is my first time writing for him... I think. I don't really recall. XD**

**Collapsing**

**DANNY'S POV**

I should have known by his smirk that he had something up his sleeve. He was, after all, Vlad. But, sad as it was, I truthfully had nowhere else to go.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

I'm getting ahead of myself. Why was I with my archenemy in the first place? Well, it all started with a test. A very important test, at that. The C.A.T. test. I had made a very bad decision (ha, what an understatement) to cheat on that test. I ignored my friends' advice not to do it. I _ignored_ them, how could I?

Come test day, I copied all the answers. That cost me more than I thought it would. _Far_ more. It cost me my family. It cost me my friends. My teacher. My happiness. I was left with no one to talk to but myself.

After sitting in my room for several hours, I knew what I had to do. It had flashed through my mind several times, and I had pushed the thought away just as many times. And yet..._and yet..._I finally gave in. He was the only person left on the earth who knew I was half ghost. At the time, I didn't really care if he was my enemy. I just needed someone...a _human_...to talk to; I needed to release all the pain I was feeling. I wanted it gone. I wanted to move on with my life. There, in my room, I made the decision to call Vlad.

I slowly descended the seemingly haunted stairs of the place I used to call home. It wasn't my home anymore; it was just an old house with a giant sign in front of it.

As I walked through the house to reach the phone, I kept thinking I was seeing my family. I thought I saw Jazz on the couch, reading some psychology book. She wasn't there, of course. I glanced over at the lab stairs, half expecting Mom or Dad to come up bragging about some new ghost device. I smiled sadly. My parents may have been a little crazy, but they were still my parents. I _loved_ them. They had loved me. Jazz had, too, but in that overprotective, annoying way some older sisters always seem to love.

It was all I could do to keep from bursting out crying. The emotional pressure I was under in that moment was far stronger than any ghost I had fought before. I was overwhelmed with pain and sadness, tinged with just a little frustration. I was frustrated because I knew I could never rewind my life and start again. I couldn't get them back; they were gone forever.

Sniffing a little, I picked up the phone and dialed Vlad's number. The phone rang about three times before someone finally answered the phone.

"Ah, Maddie!" came the voice on the other end of the line. I began to sob a little at the sound of my mom's name. Vlad paused a few seconds, obviously realizing he _wasn't_ talking to Maddie. "Daniel? Is that you?"

I could tell he was shocked. He was shocked that I, of all people, was crying. I could barely speak. I was hurt too badly inside. "Make it go away," I spoke, my voice quivering.

"Make _what_ go away?"

I didn't answer him. He didn't seem genuinely concerned. In fact, he seemed irritated and confused. My frustration gave way to anger upon realizing this, and I bit my lip to keep from snapping.

"If this is one of your games, Daniel, I swear I'll-"

"It's not a game, Vlad," I said, letting some of the anger I felt go. "They're all dead. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Mr. Lancer, Dad..._Mom._ Dead."

I could almost hear Vlad's heart beat faster when I mentioned Mom. I knew he would only sympathize with me if I mentioned her death.

"You're...not bluffing, are you?" Vlad said, sounding truly worried this time.

"You're right, I'm not..." I started to choke up again. "I'm hurting."

"Well, what do you want _me_ to do about it?" the man said, sounding irritated.

"I want you to take the hurt away. Take me _away_ from this town!"

I found I couldn't keep myself from raising my voice in a passionate cry on that last sentence. My emotions and pain were overwhelming, crashing on top of me like a giant ocean wave. The tears were pouring out of my eyes now, as much as I tried to keep them back. It was all I could do to hope Vlad would listen.

"I'll send someone for you. Be ready to be picked up by four-thirty tomorrow afternoon."

I sniffed in response. "OK," I choked out before hanging up.

I packed up everything I needed to bring with me in a few suitcases and bags, plus my sister's Bearbert Einstein and my dad's toy action figures. I smiled despite my situation. My family always had time for fun, despite their work. If only I had realized that when they were still alive. I guess it's true what they say, "You never know what you have until it's gone". And man, was it gone. I, Danny Fenton, had _let_ it go.

The last thing I picked up to take with me was a photo. It pictured my friends, family, and me in front of FentonWorks. We were smiling. We were happy. However, I began to cry. A fat teardrop fell upon the glass frame of the photo. I wiped it away with my dirty t-shirt. I wanted those times back. I wanted those _people_ back. I wanted my _life_ back.

Another twinge of anger crept into my soul. "If only I could get them all _back!_" I said aloud, trying to get rid of it. the last thing I needed was to become an angry, depressed, nobody-wants-to-be-around-him kind of guy. All I wanted was to be a normal kid again.

I held the photograph close to my chest, and therefore, close to my heart. I brought it upstairs to my room and snuggled down into my bed for what would be the last time. I slowly let myself fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

I woke up around three forty-five in the afternoon the next day. At first, I wondered why I hadn't woken up sooner, or why Mom or Dad hadn't come in and told me to get up. That's when I remembered the explosion. Mom and Dad weren't _alive_ to wake me up anymore.

I sighed heavily with sadness at this realization. The previous night's events flowed through my mind. I looked at the photo, which was still in my hands. This was all I had left to remind me of them.

It had been a long time since I last ate, and I figured I should eat something. But I just didn't feel like it. No food could fill the empty space that was in my life right now. All I really wanted to do was get rid of the hurt, the guilt, the feeling their deaths were all my fault.

A little more anger found a place inside me. I really _was_ to blame. _I_ had cheated. _I_ had gotten them all killed. _I_ was a murderer, charged with involuntary manslaughter. At least, that's what I accused myself of.

I made myself a sandwich and ate it before trudging back up to my room to grab my stuff. _Our_ stuff. Our family's stuff. I came back downstairs with it and sat down on the couch to watch a little TV before the limo would pick me up.

The first thing I saw was the news. "_**The explosion at the Nasty Burger restaurant yesterday left three adults and three teens dead. The bodies have been identified as-"**_ I quickly changed the channel, not wanting to hear about my loss for the umpteenth time in twenty-four hours.

The next channel was playing a kids' show. I smiled as I recognized it to be a show I watched when I was little. Being a teenager, I had no more use for such childish things as this, but I desperately needed something to sidetrack myself from the real world. But, soon enough, reality squeezed its way back into my brain. The show began to distinctly remind me of my own family. I don't know why or how, it just _did._

I changed the channel again and again, but no matter what I landed on, I was reminded of my pain. I finally just turned the TV off. I just couldn't _take it_ anymore...!

I screamed in order to release all the pressure and anger built up inside of me. I felt much better after that, but the nagging bitterness in my soul was still there, threatening to devour me whole.

Right then, I heard a honk outside the window. I checked my watch. "Four-thirty exactly," I murmured, my voice slightly croaky from my screaming.

I picked up my stuff and left that house-that house I used to call my home-and headed toward the vehicle which I believed could take me to relief. I needed, and wanted, relief. I craved it with my inmost being.

I was silent the whole trip to Wisconsin, staring sadly at the photo in my hands. Right now, it was the only thing important to me, the only thing I had to cling to. As I held on to that picture, I felt the indwelling sorrow and bitterness rise up. I couldn't get it out now, I was in a limo on my way to Vlad's mansion. I just sighed and sank down in my seat. This was going to be a long ride...

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_9:15 A.M. the next day_

I can't even begin to explain the relief I felt as the oversized house came into view.

The driver pulled up next to the mansion, where I lethargically grabbed my stuff and stepped out. I looked down at my feet. I had left everything behind now; the place I used to live should be a distant memory. So why did it still hurt?

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't see Vlad approach me from behind. I felt a cold hand touch my shoulder. As much as I wanted to jerk away, that touch was the most comforting one I'd had since the accident. I looked up at him. When I looked up at him... that's when he smirked. I should have known I'd made a bad decision right then and there, but I didn't. I just looked down at the photograph that had become so dear to me. I'm sure Vlad looked at it, too. I have reason to think he frowned sadly as he looked at Maddie.

No words were spoken as he lead me into his mansion. As much as I disliked Vlad, we both had more than being half-ghosts in common. We had both lost someone we loved very dearly. Although I resented him for being in love with my mom, it really didn't matter to me anymore. She was dead now, anyway; there was nothing either of us could do to fix it.

I still didn't like the fact Vlad was actually _happy_ Dad was dead, though. He could never sympathize with me on _that_ note.

We both sat down in chairs directly across from each other. I wanted to say exactly how I felt right now, spill all my thoughts out at once, but the words never came. I didn't trust Vlad enough to be able to say the things in my head at that moment. (Plus, most of them had to do with my hate for his silent rejoicing over my dad's death.) Instead, I just sighed and stared down at the photograph.

"How do I make the hurt go away?" I asked. My voice was awfully scratchy from not speaking in nearly fourteen hours, and it was ridden with enough pain and sadness to make a normal person cry. Vlad, however, was by _no means_ a "normal person", and I don't mean that by his having ghost powers. He just plain wasn't in his right mind; in fact, he was a frootloop. So, therefore, I should have expected him to do what he did.

"First of all," he said, standing up and striding over to me, "you should get rid of _this._" Vlad snatched the photo from my hands, much to my surprise...and anger.

"Hey! Give that back!" I shouted, standing up. I lashed out with my arm to grab the photo...without any luck.

Vlad smiled darkly. "You _said_ you wanted the hurt to go away, didn't you? Well, getting rid of _this_ will help you."

I restrained myself from punching Vlad square in the face, but it was extremely tempting right now. It became even harder when the half-ghost frootloop threw the thing down. The frame smashed all over the floor. I clenched my teeth, but kept my lips sealed tightly.

Vlad bent down and picked up the photograph within the mess of glass. He held it up and showed me its face before ripping it in half. In _fourths. Into tiny. Little. Pieces!_

That had set me off the edge. "That was my only reminder of my family and friends!" I screamed. One could almost see the smoke pouring out of my ears. "You're not trying to help me, you're only trying to make me hurt _worse!"_

I took off down the the hallway to the front door.. I didn't get very far before I was blasted in the back by one of Vlad's plasma rays. I fell flat on my face.

"You have nowhere to go, remember?" Vlad asked sinisterly, approaching me. I sat up and glared at him. Truth be known, he was actually right. I blew away a few loose hairs hanging down in my face and silently stood up. I was still angry, but had managed to calm myself down enough to listen.

I stared Vlad in the eyes. The man raised an eyebrow. "Daniel," he began, "your emotions are what's keeping you from letting go of your past."

I looked off to the side, foolishly letting my guard down. "How do _you_ know, Vlad?" I muttered, scoffing.

Vlad ignored my question (that, or he didn't hear it) and said, "Wouldn't it be nice if you could just...let the emotions go?"

"Why are you asking?"

Honestly, I was beginning to fall prey to Vlad's lies. I was _desperate_ to get rid of the pain I was feeling; desperate enough to actually _listen_ to the half-ghost frootloop.

"What if I told you I could do it _for_ you?"

"What...wait, you can?" I looked back up at Vlad, not really thinking about the consequences of my actions. I knew he was keeping something to himself, but I didn't know-or really care-what it was at the time. All I wanted was for the hurt and pain and anger to go away.

I assumed Vlad was respecting my wishes, doing something with good intentions. But, as you may already know, good intentions can often lead to disaster.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_Phantom's POV, one hour later_

I felt pain. It felt like I was being pulled-no, _torn_-away from myself. I was floating, cold, and had a stabbing pain in my chest. That's when my instincts kicked in.

My eyes snapped open to see a startled looking Vlad staring back at me, wearing a blue-green apron and surgeon's mask. I immediately gripped the ghost gauntlets-the source of the extreme pain in my chest-and ripped them out of me. The move caused Vlad to soar backwards, ghost gauntlets flying off his hands.

I didn't know what was going on, or even what I was doing. I only knew one thing: _Rage. The pure rage._ More rage than anyone could have ever felt.

I began charging my ghost rays to blast Vlad out of his _stupid_ lab, but then my sharp eyes caught sight of the gauntlets. I got a truly _vengeful_ idea. I slipped on the glove-like inventions, grinning with the brilliance of my plan. Vlad was still staring at me, his fear growing by the second. I sensed it.

I heaved up the ghost gauntlets, the smile on my face turning very toothy in my excitement. I had at last found an outlet for all my pain and rage. I grabbed Vlad by _his_ chest.

"I wonder how _you'll_ feel when I rip _your_ ghost half out?" I growled quietly. Had there been anyone else in the room, only Vlad would have heard it. I dug the claws in harder and tore.

I separated Vlad's ghost from his human side, sending Masters in one direction and Plasmius in another. Seeing Plasmius was defenseless, I flew down and overshadowed him to give him some payback from the inside.

At first, I was successful. I had momentary control of Plasmius' body. Then, something began to feel odd. I felt myself getting stronger, as if I was absorbing the ghost's energy...no, the ghost himself! The more energy I absorbed, the more I began to hurt; this time it was a physical pain. It felt like a fire was burning me away! It spread throughout my body, starting from my core and branching out to my chest, arms, legs, and head. The power was so great now, it literally started to crack my skin!

I screamed. The consuming burning sensation became overshadowed by an ice-cold feeling, almost like cold fire. Not long after, I felt my mind begin to change as well. The cold fire seemed to burn away everything _good..._until I was completely filled with the purest _evil._ Every part of me..._consumed_ with..._evil_...and I welcomed it.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_Fenton's POV_

I woke up to a scream. It was a scream of pain..._my_ scream!

I looked up and saw two things that really caught my eye. One was my ghost half, but it was _different._ The ghost I saw floating there was blue skinned, with pointed ears and flaming white hair. Below and a few feet away from him cowered Vlad Masters. I had never seen Vlad so afraid before, and I wondered what had happened.

I suddenly remembered I was stuck inside a containment chamber. The only way I was getting out of there was if I were to go intangible. I tried, but failed. When I attempted to go ghost, nothing happened! That really _was_ my ghost half out there! I started to panic, and began squirming to break out. My struggle was to no avail.

I was about to sink to the lowest of lows for me, but I was frightened, and I really had no other means of escape. "Vlad, help!"

By this point, Phantom had stopped screaming and appeared to be examining himself. He looked at his hands and body, obviously too distracted with himself to notice my cry for help, or Vlad, who was cautiously creeping over my direction.

My heart was beating faster than ever before, sweat soaking my shirt and face. My breath came in quick little gasps. "Hurry up!" I said through my teeth. Vlad began to unlock the locks to the chamber. He had just almost freed me before Phantom took notice of us. I paled as his blood-red eyes locked with mine.

Finally, Vlad unlocked the last strap. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. "Come, Daniel; we must retreat to the underground!" he said, his voice sounding rather panicky. The guy was just as terrified as I was, if not more. He must have witnessed what had happened to my ghost half up close. We both knew there was something _with_ this new Danny Phantom. He was pure evil, that was for sure.

Phantom charged a tiny ectoplasmic ray before firing it at us. In an instant, the beam had struck Vlad's hand. Vlad made a quick "ah!" sound and involuntarily let go of my wrist. Because of the rate at which he was pulling me, his letting go caused me to trip and fall. Vlad continued to run, nearly leaving me behind. I stood up and stumbled after him, but not without noticing the terrible, stinging pain in my elbows, right knee, and the left side of my face. The lab flooring in that area was rather rough, and I had no doubt scraped myself up pretty badly.

Before I could get even one foot closer to Vlad, I was knocked down again. Phantom had shot an energy beam directly at my shoulder, and I'd crashed shoulderfirst into the wall. I was shot again in my right leg. I felt the sharpness of a bone cracking, and I cried out in pain.

I was hunched up, defenseless, and with a broken leg. I dared not move, lest my leg hurt more than it already did. A sudden darkness of a shadow overcast me, and I looked up into the sad looking crimson eyes of the monster that used to be me. Phantom just floated there and looked at me as I trembled. I hoped he would leave me be and move on.

Then, Phantom lunged forward, snarling. His mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs and a long, forked tongue. The last thing I remember was that evil ghost throwing an extremely large ecto-bomb at me. Then, my world went black.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_Phantom's POV_

I soared through the sky, cackling in my newfound, hoarse voice. I killed my human half and destroyed Vlad's house in one blow! That act of terrorism was all the motivation I needed to move on to the rest of the world, and to put them through the same pain I had been through. After all, misery loves company. _Especially_ mine.

There would need to be loss of life, bloodshed, and tears. That was the only way I was ever going to be happy, now. I needed more excitement, the thrill of the kill. It satisfied me.

My reign of terror had begun...

~_**THE END...**_

_**or is it?**_

**I don't typically write angst, or first-person stories, but I really like the way this turned out! :D**

**Who wants to kill Vlad for pushing Danny over the edge? *raises hand* (My sister does, too. She's my beta reader...)**

**Review, please! :D**


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